Struggling Christians In Relationship

Over the next couple of classes, we'll talk about the struggles Christians face in relationships with other people.  Parents, children, difficult people.

This week's class (10.25.26) introduced the "Struggling in Relationships" section.

We were created to be in relationship with others (Genesis 2).

Because of sin, relationships are broken and challenging (Genesis 3 and the entire Bible)

When you are saved, you are brought into a right relationship with God and into God's family (Galatians 4:4-7)

In this life, relationships with other people, Christians and non-Christians, can be a blessing or challenge.

Often, blessings come from working through hard things. 

Remember Romans 12:18.

“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

In her article How to Respond to Difficult People, Caroline Newheiser lists several points to consider after you have carefully examined your words, actions, and heart.

Some verses about how to relate to difficult people.

• Pray for the challenging person.  Matthew 5:44
• Pray for yourself. James 5:16
• Overlook the offense, if possible. Proverbs 19:11
• If needed, go to the person seeking reconciliation. Matthew 5:23 – 24
• Involve others when appropriate. Matthew 18:16 – 20
• Seek (and follow) godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14b
• Do not spread gossip about how you have been offended. Psalm 34:13
• Recognize that you have truly been sinned against. Mark 7:20 – 23
• Do not sinfully react. Proverbs 21:23
• Seek the other person's good. Romans 12:14
• Find ways to serve the troublesome person. Romans 12:20
• Have a heart ready to forgive. Matthew 6:12
• Above all, look to Jesus as your example. "Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Hebrews 12:3

Struggling in Spiritual Growth

What is spiritual growth?  We had a great class discussion, and here is a summary of that time.

Spiritual growth is a lifelong battle filled with amazing blessings and various challenges.  To grow, the believer needs to persevere in the Lord.  Spiritual growth will be marked by a growing understanding of God, his holiness, my sinfulness, and God's provision. 

Two of the Bible passages related to this topic are Philippians 1:3 - 26 and 3.

First, look at 1:3 - 26.  It is filled with prayer (v. 4, 9, 19), God's faithfulness (v. 6) and testimony of God's goodness (12 - 14).  There are no strong commands, but there are descriptions of Christian life that flow from who God is and what He is doing.

Then, check out chapter 3.  The first two verses are filled with commands.  Rejoice in the Lord (v. 1).  "Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate" (v. 2).  Be joyful because of who you are in Christ.  Be aware of those who are trying to lead you away from Jesus Christ and the Gospel.  Paul then goes on to say that he has done many things that should give him confidence, but they give him nothing.  The essential, most important thing is knowing Christ Jesus and being in Him.  This chapter continues with Paul writing about pressing on (12), straining forward (13), and pressing on (14) - a lot of struggle-filled language.  

Spiritual growth comes from God, and we are involved in this process.  Another way to think of spiritual growth is progressive sanctification.

Progressive sanctification is the supernatural process accomplished through the Father (1 Thess. 5:23), the Son (Eph. 5:26) and the Holy Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2) and in cooperation with man (Romans 8; Galatians 5; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Cor. 15:10). Progressive sanctification is an ongoing process (Phil. 1:6) towards the goal of Christ-likeness (Rom. 8:29). 

 Here is the definition of sanctification in my ordination paper.

Sanctification is God's ongoing work in the believer's life, whereby the Spirit of God, in cooperation with the believer, brings about holiness in the believer's character, conversation, and conduct.  Romans 15:16 and 1 Corinthians 6:11 show that the Holy Spirit is involved in sanctification.  In Romans 8, Paul writes about life through the Spirit.  A believer is set free from the law of sin and death because of the Spirit (v. 2).  The Holy Spirit enables us to fulfill God’s law (v. 4).  “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (v. 6).  A believer is saved by the Holy Spirit and needs to rely upon the Holy Spirit to live out the Christian life (Galatians 3:3). 

The reality is spiritual growth is a struggle for every believer.  It is a fight against sin and selfishness.

Another specific area that many, if not most, Christians struggle with is evangelism.  This week, we introduced evangelism with a homework assignment.  Find an evangelism technique that uses each of these numbers 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. 

In the next week's class, October 18, we will talk about one specific 
look at 7 different evangelism techniques,
continue with the struggles & spiritual growth & evangelism with more discussion and specific prayer,
and look at the meaning of Colossians 2:6, 7.

 

Don't Make Disciples

Today, October 13, I have the privilege of presenting a workshop at the Bridge Fellowship's annual conference.  The workshop is titled "Why Churches Don't Make Disciples."

On September 13, Pastor Brett preached a vision message at Trinity Baptist Church. 

In August, he shared his excitement about the planning process and about sharing the message.  Leading up to the message, some people were speculating what this exciting vision message would be.  Were we beginning a building program, changing our name, starting a new program, or making a staff change?  

One of the message's opening points was that we weren't going to sit back and watch something happen.  This vision is something we all are going to need to engage in.   You can watch the sermon HERE.

Here is the Biblical basis of the vision and the message.

• Mission of the Church - Matthew 28:19 -20 - To exalt Christ and make disciples.
• Pattern of the Church - Acts 2:42 - From a lecture you attend to a body you belong to.
• Schedule of the Church - Hebrews 10:24 - 25 - From an hour to fill to the every-moment-of-life goal of discipleship.

Remember the schedule serves the pattern, and the pattern serves the mission.

With all of this in mind, what is essential for discipleship?  The Holy Spirit using these four things is absolutely necessary.

1. Prayer
2. The Bible
3. Learning
4. Community

Here are seven reasons churches don’t disciple, and this list is not exhaustive.  The quotes under each point are from the articles unless otherwise noted.

The first five reasons come from a 9Marks article series.

• Because they preach cheap grace (9Marks article).

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ" (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 43 - 44).   

 If salvation is reduced to merely saying a prayer, discipleship is unnecessary.  However, if a believer's life is marked by a dependence upon God, we will always strive to depend on God more and more. 

When evangelism shifts from preaching the deceitfulness and seriousness of sin, and our desperate need for a Savior, to telling people how awesome they are and merely giving words to repeat, cheap grace becomes a sad substitute for the Gospel and evangelism.

• Because they are seeker-sensitive but believer-insensitive (9Marks article).

Churches can become so focused on doing whatever it takes to get those who are not part of the church to come to a specific church that they lose their zeal for biblical disciple-making.

• Because they are less converted (9Marks article).

"In some large, well-known evangelical churches, you can become a member simply by ticking a box on a welcome card.  There is little or no attempt to examine the person spiritually to try to ascertain that they are truly followers of Christ." 

When people talk about being born a Christian or about something they did in the past, they don't have a true understanding of conversion.  Often, people become members of a local church without a clear understanding of the Gospel and its life-changing application, and what it means to be part of the family.

In the church, meaningful membership matters.  The obvious first place to teach about meaningful membership is in the new members class.  Another, less obvious place to teach about it is anytime you can take to remind the whole church what it is: services when new members are voted in, and teaching times when members and others can be reminded of what it is and ask questions about how it works.  Trinity has offered classes like "We are the Church,"  and "Be a Disciple and Make Disciples" to remind the church who we are and what we do. 

• Because they are program-dependent (9Marks article)

"A program - however biblically faithful - is no substitute for ongoing, personal discipling."   

"Programs can imply that discipleship is a matter of following the correct 'process' rather than cultivating the correct character."

• Because they are too often ashamed of the gospel and therefore assume the gospel (9Marks article)

"'Growth without the regular, faithful teaching of the gospel is growth without depth.  If we want depth as well as breadth, there's no substitute for gospel-saturated preaching and conversation.'"

 "The deep, wide discipleship we long for in our churches will only come when we stop assuming the gospel, and actually proclaim it."

In our discipleship, we can become afraid to call out sin and call people to repentance.  I do believe in the assurance of salvation.  I also believe that if someone shows no fruit of salvation, we should ask tough questions.  

• Because they don't pray.

In The Praying Church, Paul Miller shares some challenging prayer ideas.  One of the book's guiding principles is "Prayer is not one more activity of the church - it lies at the heart of all the church's ministry." (26) 

One question asked during the workshop was, "How can pastors help their church pray corporately?"  The easy but hard question is to have a church prayer meeting.  Whether your church has a prayer meeting or not, another way to help your church pray together is to share a weekly or monthly prayer theme.   More on this coming in a post later this week.

• Because they promote "perfection," not sanctification.

Discipleship often doesn't happen because church members want to appear perfect rather than live out sanctification, sinners growing into the image of Christ through dependence on the Holy Spirit.

Some Resources:

• 9Marks Discipleship Journal 
• Deep Discipleship by J.T. English
• Discipling by Mark Dever
• Workshop Powerpoint in PDF

Struggling Christian Bible Passages

One of the foundational principles of the Struggling Christian class and even more so every Christian's life, whether in a struggling, coming out of a struggle, or helping someone through struggles, is to look to Scripture to know God better and trust Him more.  

Throughout September, we have looked at several different verses and passages.

The class theme verse is John 16:33 (NASB)

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

James 1:1-18 is about trials, testing, endurance, wisdom, and perseverance. 

² Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, ⁸ being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

⁹ But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; ¹⁰ and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like ^[i]flowering grass he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

¹² Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. ¹⁵ Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. ¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. ¹⁸ In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

We also looked at some Lament Psalms.  In Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, Mark Vroegop describes lament in four parts: Turn to God, Bring Your Complaint, Ask Boldly, and Choose to Trust.  Here are the specific lament Psalms we looked at: 3, 13, 22, and 42.  Take some time and read through each of these.

And today (October 4), we looked at three different passages.

Job 38 - 41.  This passage is God's answer to Job's suffering.  It is a barrage of questions like, "Where is the way to the dwelling of light?" and "Do you have an arm like the Lord?"  The bottom line is that we cannot fully understand God and his plans.

Psalm 10 is a lament psalm that begins with two questions in verse 1.  "Why do you stand afar off, O Lord?  Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?"  It seems like God is far away and not just far away.  In his commentary on the Psalms, Christopher Ash breaks this psalm into three parts.  The two agonizing questions in verse 1.  Then the confident arrogance in verses 2 through 11.  The wicked, confident man says "There is no God" and "I will not be moved."  The last part of the psalm is an urgent prayer asking God to do what He was always going to do and how great God is.

This psalm clearly follows the lament pattern mentioned earlier.

Romans 11:33-36 talks about the inscrutability of God.  More later.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

    or who has been his counselor?”

³⁵ “Or who has given a gift to him

    that he might be repaid?”

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

 

Think about these three passages.

God answers Job's question with over 50 questions (Job 38-41), designed to help Job and the reader remember how great God is.

The writer of Psalm 10 begins with two questions that show he turns to God for answers.

Paul reminds the church in Rome and the church today that God is God over everything. 

Struggling Christian Introduction Weeks

This post is specifically written to help those attending the Struggling Christian class at Trinity Baptist Church.  However, I also hope it encourages anyone who reads it. 

I want to begin with a personal note about the Struggling Christian class.  This was a class topic that I thought was needed, not just for Trinity Baptist Church but also for the universal church.  That became apparent after the first week of class in two different ways.  First, I made 10 copies of the class notes, thinking that would be enough.  The class ended up with close to 30 people.  I didn't know how many people would show up for a class called "The Struggling Christian."  The second reason became obvious as soon as we began the discussion time in class.  We talked about struggles people have, reasons why struggling in a church setting can often be a very real challenge, and how we as individuals in a church can help lessen these challenges.  

Here are some of the points discussed in class.  These are necessary and great reminders.  At the same time, a very encouraging part of each class is the discussion about struggles, challenges, and blessings.  These points form the skeleton of class time.  Each lesson has so much more, as people share life connected to Scripture.    

• As followers of Christ, we will have trouble.  John 16:33b says, "In the world you have tribulation.
• As followers of Christ, we have peace and hope.  BEFORE and AFTER the reality of trouble in this world, we see hope.  The beginning of the verse says, " These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace." The end of the verse says "but take courage; I have overcome the world."  This hope is also found in the Old Testament.  Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe."
• As followers of Christ, we need to help others in their struggles by listening and gaining understanding.  Proverbs 18:13 encourages us to listen well before answering.  If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.  First Thessalonians 5:14 tells us to demonstrate patient understanding.  The verse says to "admonish the idle [undisciplined], encourage the fainthearted, help the weak."  There are different types of struggles people are going through and these different struggles require a different response from helpers. 
• Remember the three "do not worry" commands in Matthew 6:25-34, are grounded in God's goodness and richness, not our willpower.  "Do not worry" is not meant to be a three-word mantra to repeat or tell others to repeat.  It reminds us who God is and what He has done for His children.

With these four points in mind, here are three words we need to clarify for class discussion.  These descriptions are not perfect, but they are meant to be a help for this class and even understanding the class title.

• Suffering:  According to Vocabulary.com, suffering comes from Latin roots meaning "below" and "to bear."  It is "something pressing you down that you have to submit to and bear."  For the sake of this class, suffering is something that happens to you.  It is more passive than active.
• Trials:  These are external situations that last for a specific time and have a specific purpose - to prove and purify one's faith.
• Struggles:  These are ongoing, and we are actively fighting them. Because of sin this life is a struggle.  We will always be fighting against something - spiritual apathy, aging, challenging relationships, and so much more.   Ongoing and active

BIG GOD REMINDERS:

God is sovereign and inscrutable.  Here are elementary school definitions of these big words.  

"God is sovereign" means that God is the boss.  He is a good boss.  He is the perfect boss.  He is the most loving boss.  He is the all-powerful boss.  Now I know the word "boss" might not sit well with you as a description of God but remember what a boss is.  The boss is the one in charge, the one who exercises control, and the one who directs others. This word, coupled with good, perfect, loving, and all-powerful, gives a good, yet imperfect picture of God.  

"God is inscrutable" means that God is God and we are not.  Inscrutability means that God cannot be understood.  That might sound disappointing, but the great reality behind our understanding of God is that we cannot fully know God, BUT we can truly know God (adapted from Kevin DeYoung).  This attribute of God is found throughout Scripture and specifically in Romans 11:33, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways."

During the second and third weeks of class, we have dug into passages of Scripture to remind us of who God is and how we are to live in response to who He is.

James 1:1-18

Lament Psalms 3, 13, 22, 42, and 44

ASSIGNMENT:

In our next class (October 4), we will look at Psalm 10, Romans 11, and Job 38- 41, focusing more on discussion and prayer.

RESOURCES:

• All Struggling Christian posts:  drodgersjr.blogspot.com/search/label/Struggling%20Christian
• Worship Initiative:  Lord from Sorrows Deep I Call - sing.theworshipinitiative.com/series/daily/2026-09-30 (You do need to sign up to receive this and other great devotionals)
• TBC sermon on Lamentations 3:21 - 24 by Pastor Dave  - tbcgr.org/sermons/mp3/other-sermons/2025-04-27_PM_Rodgers_Lamentations_3_21-24.mp3
• 9Marks Podcast:  On the Christian Practice of Lament (with Mark Vroegop) Mark  https://www.9marks.org/episode/episode-81-on-lament/

The Struggling Christian

Starting September 13, I will be teaching a class at Trinity Baptist Church called "The Struggling Christian."  This post is designed not only to summarize the class but, more importantly, to help brothers and sisters in Christ.

"The Struggling Christian" is not a class title that will draw a crowd.  American Christian culture does not encourage admitting struggles in a group setting.  A "God helps those who help themselves" mentality wrongly promotes self-reliance and gives the appearance that everything is going well.  Gathering together for a class that reminds us, "in this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33), and that we have "a strong tower" that provides safety (Proverbs 18:10) might be difficult to do.  As Pastor Brett communicates the vision the elders have been talking about, discipleship is more than a lecture; it requires the Word, presence, and time. Hopefully, this class time will be a time to struggle together well for God's glory.

It is my prayer that our church (Trinity) and the church will help followers of Christ struggle well and help others struggle well. 

This class and future posts will help those asking the following questions and more.  You may be the one asking the question(s), or you may be trying to help someone else.  

• Why do we struggle as believers?  Maybe the better question is Why am I struggling?
• Are struggles and suffering the same thing?
• What do I do if I am struggling in my spiritual growth?
• How do I deal with people I am struggling with?
• I feel like I am alone in my struggle as a parent, as an adult child of aging children, or a person hurt by the church.  How do I handle these struggles and isolation?
• Why is church often the last place people go to when they are struggling?
• How can I be a better helper to those who are struggling?

While I plan to post some of the lesson notes here, most of the learning and growth will happen through Christ-centered discussion and prayer.  

The Bible is filled with people and their struggles:  Joseph, Job, the writers of many of the Psalms, the Israelites, the church in Acts, the various churches Paul wrote to,

The storyline of the Bible God's glory and our redemption is a story of the struggles with sin and the redemption of God through Jesus Christ.

Here is a very tentative class schedule.  This will be changed depending on discussion and topics that come up throughout the class time.

• 9.13 - Introduction: Clarifying Words & Sharing Big Ideas - Prov 18, 1 Thess 5:14, and Luke 12:27
• 09.20 - Struggles & Trials in the Christian Life - James 1:1 - 18
• 09.27 - Struggles & Suffering – Focus Teaching & Discussion - Job, Psalms, and Lamentations
• 10.04 - Struggles & Suffering – Focus on Discussion & Prayer - specific Psalms
• 10.11 - Struggles & Spiritual Growth & Evangelism – Focus on Teaching & Discussion - Phil 1:6 and Col 2:6 – 7
• 10.18 - Struggles & Spiritual Growth & Evangelism – Focus on Discussion & Prayer
• 10.25 - Struggles & Relationships – Focus on Teaching & Discussion
• 11.01 - Struggles & Relationships – Focus on Discussion & Prayer
• 11.08 - Struggles & Children – Focus on Discussion & Prayer
• 11.15 - Struggles & Aging – Focus on Discussion & Prayer
• 11.22 - Struggles & Difficult People
• 11.29 - COMBINED – Struggles & Church Hurt
• 12.06 - Open
• 12.13 - Open
• 12.20 - Struggles & Next Steps

The Pastor Said What?

TBC parents, this Sunday, Pastor Brett is continuing TBC's sermon series through the book of Deuteronomy.  We will be in Deuteronomy 22:13-20.  In many Bibles, this section is titled "Laws on Morality."  It specifically deals with sexual sins.  Having children in church, especially during a sermon on this passage and topic, can be challenging.  I wanted to share something I wrote when our son was in 5th grade.  Hopefully this will help you and your family, not just this Sunday but going forward.

While this post references a different passage, the principles are the same.  

Let them ask questions.
Keep it basic.
Keep it Biblical.
Encourage further conversation.  

I pray this helps you and your family.
Here is the post from 2017.

Tomorrow's sermon is from Romans 13: 12 -14

12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The sermon doesn't focus on verse 13, but it is part of the message.

Now, parents of 4th and 5th graders, I don't want you to freak out.  I want you to read these two personal stories about Josiah and me.  I genuinely believe God provided these two talking points to help me have TWO examples to share with you about talking with your child about sex.

Story One:

Earlier this week, Josiah was reading the book Shaken by Tim Tebow.  It is a book about going through challenging times.  The book contains stories of many different people's struggles in life.  As Josiah was reading, he came across the word "molested" and asked me what that means.  Josiah and I have already talked about fundamental character qualities and facts about puberty.

We talk about God's special design for sex between a husband and wife, not a mom and dad OR a man and woman.  In the story from the book, someone took this very special thing, corrupted it, and used it in a way that was wrong and sinful.

Story Two:  

This morning Josiah and I went to The Daughter Project breakfast fundraiser.  On the way there, we talked about what sex trafficking was.  Once again, we had already talked about sex at an appropriate level for him.  So my conversation about the Daughter Project and sex trafficking was basically this: 

Sex trafficking is when sinful people take what God has designed as a special thing between a husband and wife and twist it and use it for profit. 

If you haven't had the talk with your son or daughter yet, I encourage you to check out the resources posted on this blog related to The Talk.  Click HERE.

If you need some help talking to your kids about the text and specifically what sexual immorality is, think basics.  

The sermon text contrasts light and darkness.  God's design and Man's sinfulness.

"Orgies and Drunkenness" are people's attempts to use what God made in ways very different from what God intended.

"Sexual immorality and sensuality" are perversions (twistings) of what God made for human order and flourishing. 

I know when topics like these come up in church, it is easy to think that we need to shield our kids from these words and topics.

But I always come back to the fact that I would RATHER have my kids hear these words and topics under my instruction and in the church building, where they are talked about Biblically, THAN hear their friends or Hollywood talk about these topics.  

Here is an article from Ligonier Ministries on Helping Teens Navigate a Sexualized Culture 

• 
  

Full, flexible, and hopefully faithful.

The italic part was added later.

Full, Flexible, and hopefully faithful.

Recently, I have been using the first two words to describe my life, especially as it relates to ministry.  There are many tasks to get done and people to meet with.  While there are many tasks and people, I pray the last word, faithful, would be what my life is about.  Faithfully living for God, who has proven Himself faithful.  

Many of my most recent posts on this blog have been related to lessons I have taught at Trinity or workshops from the church ministries conference.  

Of the last 25 posts, 2 have been personal and 23 have been lesson- or workshop-related.  Sadly, my amount of personal journaling has also decreased tremendously. While there have been many teaching and ministry opportunities, that is not the only reason for this lack of personal posts and journal entries.

When I honestly look at the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026, I can say I haven't taken as much time as I should for personal reflection.  I want to do better at this.  Throughout my life, personal, private journaling - written prayers - has been a refreshing time of soul searching and even more so seeking the Lord.  

Recently, Krista reminded me of a related devotional from Everyday Gospel.  The June 25 devotional's reading is Psalms 90-95.  There are several quotes related to the concept of Full, Flexible, and, hopefully, Faithful. 

It is important to understand and live within the limits that God, in his infinite wisdom, has set for us.

When you live with your limits in view, you don't waste your time.  You don't load your schedule with things that don't matter.  You value your time, and you want to invest it wisely.  When you live with your limits in view, you want to understand what is important to God, and you spend your days pursuing those values. 

Our days are numbered; may we reach for the grace to invest in them well.

As personal and ministry responsibilities remain constant and personal and ministry opportunities arise, help remember Psalm 90:14, "Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness.  That we may sign for joy and rejoice all our days."

I am praying that I will make more time each day to reflect upon the graciousness and the glory of God.  If that is through personal journaling and more public teaching and writing, good. However, I pray that every day I will take time to privately do this and that it will impact the way I live and interact with others.

Hall of Faith Part 2

At Trinity Baptist Church, we are doing our summer study entitled "The Hall of Faith: God's Faithfulness in the Lives of Faithful People."  There are several different people teaching throughout the summer.  I had the privilege of teaching three of the first four lessons.   

This is the post about the most recent lesson I taught in this series.

Here is the other post from the other lessons: https://drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/06/hall-of-faith-part-1.html

Before getting into Sarah's faith, here is a spiritual discipline/prayer help.  

Pray prayers from the Bible.  There are two different ways to pray prayers from the Bible.  First,  pray what the Psalmists write, pray the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, and pray the prayers Paul and other epistle writers prayed.  The second way to pray prayers from the Bible is to pray from a Bible-saturated, God-glorifying, people-loving heart.  This is what I was praying for this week.  In studying and thinking about the faith of Sarah, I prayed for couples who haven't been able to have children, for those who have adopted children, and for those who need an extra measure of faith right now because of challenging life circumstances.

 

Now back to this week's lesson on Hebrews 11:11.  "And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise faithful."

The Bible is very open about its heroes' shortcomings and sins.  Sarah, this week's person of faith, is a good example of a not-so-great example, but she appears in this Hall of Faith.  Why is she here?

This week's passage makes it clear.  She is faithful "because she considered [God] faithful who had made the promise faithful."  Sarah knew that the promise-making God was also the promise-keeping God.

Now, before moving on, consider a couple of low points in Sarah and Abraham's faith story.  First of all, because of fear, Abraham gave his wife to other men twice, to Pharaoh in Genesis 12:10 - 20 and to Abimelech in Genesis 20:1 - 18.  In both of these instances, Abraham told his wife to lie, and he gave her to other men because he feared death.  He did this not once, but twice.  Another low-point, lack-of-faith example was Sarah's plan to give Abraham a son.  The plan would result in a son, but it was not the way God intended.  Sarah gave her husband her servant woman, Hagar, so that they would "obtain children through her."  Abraham giving Sarah to foreign rulers for protection and Sarah giving a servant woman to Abraham for children are not great examples of faith.  God's plan done my way doesn't equal God's plan.  Consider this Hudson Taylor quote: "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply."

Another not-so-great example of Sarah's lack of faith appears in Genesis 18:9-15.  When Sarah heard the LORD say, "Sarah, your wife shall have a son," she laughed to herself, then denied laughing.  God proved himself faithful to His promise, and Sarah recognized this by saying, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me."  God did such an amazing thing that people would laugh when they heard the story of the woman who was unable to have a child and then had a baby boy.  

 

God spoke a promise to Sarah and Abraham, and from that promise came life.

Now, let's look at Hebrews 11:3.  "By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."  God created the universe and life by His word.  

God's word is powerful and true.  He is incomparably faithful.  His plans stand firm forever (Psalm 33:11).  In The Blessed and Boundless God, George Swinnock writes the following about God's faithfulness.  

At times, lying arises from forgetfulness; some people break their word because their memories are poor.  But God never forgets.  At times, lying arises from weakness; some people want to keep their promises, but they lack the ability to do so because their circumstances have changed. But God never changes.  At times, lying arises from wickedness; some people are able to keep their word, but they refuse to do so.  But God never breaks a promise.  He cannot be accused of wickedness:  'There is no unrighteousness in him' (Psalm 92:15). 

With all of Sarah's missteps, mistakes, & sins, why is she in Hebrews 11?

Because she had faith in God, who is amazingly always faithful.

Looking back over your life, think about how God and His faithfulness are seen in it.
Seen in amazing, and sometimes hilariously laughable ways.  

As we fix our eyes on Jesus and continue on in this life, remember He is faithful no matter what your circumstances are.

Sarah and Abraham were far from perfect. Remember, it is not about the people in Hebrews 11.  It is about our faithful God - his perfection, his promises, his provisions, and more.

Hall of Faith Part 1

TBC's Summer ACE combined study is The Hall of Faith: God's Faithfulness in the Lives of Faithful People.

“Hebrews 11 is a reminder from Old Testament history of how God has enabled his people down the centuries to endure by faith in Him.”  (Faith for Life, Richard Coekin)

In the introduction lesson (May 31), we looked at Hebrews 10:39 - 11:3

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

For by it the men of old gained approval. 

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 

Children of God, we need to remember that our faith is not optimism, bootstrap positive thinking, a hunch, sentimentality, merely faith in faith, or a feeling.

Our faith is the following... 

According to Hebrews 10:39, faith is soul protection.  It preserves the soul.

According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is filled with "future certitude" and "visual certitude."

It gives us certainty of the things hoped for in Christ - the future. It reminds us that God is always working in, through, and around us even when we cannot see what He is doing - now.

According to Hebrews 11:2, faith is how we are saved.

Faith is not simply one way to please God.  It is the only way to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Hebrews 11:3 enables us to understand how God created the world.

During the second week of the Hall of Faith class (June 7), we looked at Abel (Hebrews 11:4) and Enoch (Hebrews 11:5).

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.  And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.  Now, before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.

Both of these men were commended by God.  Abel was commended for an acceptable gift, an act of worship.  Enoch was commended for a life of faith.  

ABEL

Abel's story, actually Cain's story in which Abel plays a role, is first found in Genesis 4.  Abel brought an acceptable offering to the LORD, but Cain did not; he became very angry and murdered his brother.  Abel's faithful act of worship resulted in God's approval and his murder by Cain.

ENOCH

Enoch's story is not much of a story.  It is four verses in a genealogy.  Verse 24 has a clear statement, "Enoch walked faithfully with God," and a cryptic result, "then he was no more, because God took him away."  Enoch's faithful life resulted in his being taken away by God.  

REMEMBER

Quote related to Abel - “Let us ensure that our sacrifices are not merely religious bribes but motivated by a personal and loving faith in God.”  Coekin

Quote related to Enoch - “My greatest spiritual challenge is rarely adversity.  Usually it is consistency.”  Lockwood

The Problem of Evil of Suffering

The problem of evil and suffering in the world is a big problem.  So a 50-minute lesson was definitely NOT going to solve this problem.  

My goal in the class was not to provide answers to every specific example of evil and suffering.  It was to help believers strengthen their understanding of who God is and how God works so we can be more compassionate (loving) and truthful (confident) in our responses to questions about pain and suffering.

Ronald Nash, in Faith and Reason, writes, "Every philosopher I know believes the most serious challenge to theism is, was, and will continue to be the problem of evil."

Randy Newman, in Questioning Evangelism, writes, "The so-called problem of evil has always been a difficult question for Christians.  Our critics have called it the Achilles ' heel of our faith."

The difficulty and challenge of the question should not make us avoid wrestling with the issue.  In the same chapter, Newman goes on to write, "The truth is, we don't have an adequate answer for the problem of evil.  No one does. We simply must have the honesty to admit it." (103)

In this post, I hope to clarify why this truth - we don't have an adequate answer for the problem of evil - is so hard and so glorious.  

One of the challenges with this question is that there are two types of conversations people have about the problem of evil.  The first is a logical, philosophical conversation. Laying out facts and points for each of the different arguments.  

The second is so much more personal and experiential.  The person in the midst of suffering and asking questions needs more than a step-by-step thought process.

We are going to look at Job 38 - 41, Romans 11:33-36, and Hebrews 11.

But let's first consider the question 

What are evil and suffering?

The question itself points to the fact that there is a good, intended way life is supposed to be.  How do you know what is evil?  By knowing what is good.  How do you know what suffering is?  By knowing there is a way that would be better than the suffering.   In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis writes, "My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust, but how had I gotten this idea of just and unjust?  A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.  What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?"

Evil and suffering occur because things in this world are broken.  Consider this: the Creator's creation has been corrupted by sin.  

This corruption can be seen at the moral level (sins committed by one person against another), natural level (original sin in all of mankind and suffering caused by natural disasters), and the supernatural level.  

 

What is the problem of evil?

The problem people have with evil and suffering exists because God is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and all-good (omnibenevolent). 

Here, Alvin Plantinga introduced the theistic set, a set of propositions, to think about the problem of evil.  Here is the set.

1. God exists.
2. God is omnipotent (all-powerful).
3. God is omniscient (all-knowing).
4. God is omnibenevolent (all-good).
5. God created the world.
6. The world contains evil.

Where is the contradiction?

Is it in God's omnipotence, #2? He should be able to deliver his people from evil and suffering.
Is it in God's omniscience, #3? He should know how to deliver his people from evil and suffering.

Is it in God's omnibenevolence, #4? He should want to deliver his people from evil and suffering.

Nash addresses two different forms of the problem.  

Because there is evil in this world, the logical conclusion seems to be that this all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God doesn't exist.  This is the deductive problem of evil.

Because there is evil in this world, there is rational support for atheism.  Therefore, the existence of God is rationally improbable.

So, how do we address the problem of evil?

What is theodicy?

There are a couple of very similar possible definitions of the word "theodicy."  

One definition is "a justification of the ways of God in his dealings with men."  (TGC). 

Another possible definition is "a defense of God's righteousness in light of the reality that evil exists in the universe He created." (GTY)

Keep both of these definitions in mind as we continue to address the problem of evil.

There are many types of theodicies.  Here is the list with no explanation, but you can read more about these at TGC and GTY.

• Free Will Theodicy
• Natural Law Theodicy
• Soul Making Theodicy
• eschatological Theodicy
• Finite God Theodicy

In studying this question and thinking about theodicy, I was struck by the idea of justifying God's ways and defending God's righteousness.  What does it mean to defend God and His ways?

I am reminded of David in 1st Samuel 17.

Goliath has been coming out and defying God's people.  No one stands up to this giant. In verse 32, David says he "will go and fight [Goliath]."  David's going and fighting rests not in his strength but in God's hand (vv. 34 - 37).  He tells Saul, "The LORD who rescued me... will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine."  He proclaims to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands."

David's defense of God was not based on God's weakness and need for someone to do something for Him.

David's defense of God was based on God's greatness and David's desire to make that known.  

Apologetics is not finding the right thing to say to someone so they agree with your beliefs about God.  

1 Peter 3:15 apologetics is about making much of our great God, no matter what the circumstances.  It is sharing the hope you have in Christ in a winsome way.

Why is there evil and suffering in this world?

 

"Our response to the problem of evil, then, may take either of two approaches. We may argue that the second premise above is false and seek to demonstrate that it is false by showing God’s reasons for permitting evil – the way of “theodicy.” Or we could argue that the second premise is unproven because unbelievers can’t rule out God’s having a good reason for permitting evil – the way of 'inscrutability.'” (John MacArthur)

Inscrutability

Romans 11

Mystery/Inscrutability/ Submission:

Holds that the reasons for suffering are beyond human comprehension and must be accepted as a mystery of God’s sovereignty.

definition of inscrutability

the quality or state of being inscrutable

not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious

 

The Gospel Coalition

"The way of inscrutability argues, more modestly, that no one knows that premise (2) is true because no one can know enough to conclude that God doesn’t have good reason for permitting evil. We just cannot grasp God’s knowledge, the complexity of his plans, or the deep nature of the good he aims at in providence. And there is no proof that God does not have good reasons for allowing evil, but because he is good, we can only assume that he does. 

Here, we don’t have to come up with ‘theodicies’ to defend God against the problem of evil. Rather, the way of inscrutability shows that it is entirely to be expected that creatures like us can’t come up with God’s reasons, given who God is and who we are."

Some verses that show this inscrutability are

God's question-filled answer to Job in Job 38 - 41

Paul's doxology in Romans 11:33-36

The big truth and Godward examples in Hebrews 11.